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May/June 2023 issue

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Sector: Local government
News

Council fined £100k over seven HAVS injuries

Open-access content Friday 13th September 2019
From the archive:  Just so you know, this article is more than 3 years old.

The case relates to seven employees who worked for the council's grounds maintenance and street care team looking after the public spaces in Hertfordshire. An HSE investigation was sparked after cases were reported under RIDDOR.

HAVS can be caused through the over use of hand-held power tools where vibrations can lead to neurological, vascular and musculoskeletal damage resulting in conditions such as Raynaud's syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome and tendinitis. The HSE estimates there are two million workers at risk and currently 288,000 sufferers in the UK.

Luton Magistrates' Court was told how Dacorum Borough Council had reported seven cases of HAVS to the HSE between May 2015 and June 2016.

The HSE found that the council had both failed to adequately plan its working methods to prevent HAVS and had not informed employees of the potential risks. The council also had no surveillance system in place to identify problems at an early stage and had failed to limit employee exposure to the duration and magnitude of vibrations.

Dacorum Borough Council pleaded guilty to breaching reg 5 of the Control of Vibration at Work Regulations 2005. In addition to the fine, it must pay £28,673 costs.

Following the court case HSE inspector Rubeena Surnam said: "This was a case of the council failing to identify the risk from hand-arm vibration which is a recognised health risk with potentially disabling consequences.

"Unless vibration is identified and properly assessed, an employer won't know the level of risk and whether action is needed to protect workers."

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 Union launches guide to protect gig economy workers

Friday 13th September 2019
The public service union Unison has published a new guide for its health and safety representatives to explain how the gig economy has affected its members and what support they can provide.
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Monday 23rd September 2019
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 EU-OSHA resource to help get workers talking about MSDs

Wednesday 21st August 2019
A new resource for employers to help promote workplace dialogue about musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) has been published by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA). 
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 Rip saw severed trainee’s fingers

Tuesday 8th October 2019
A family-run construction firm has been ordered to pay more than £58,000 after a trainee worker suffered life-changing injuries when his hand was caught in a rip saw.
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 Cement firm handed £1m fine over factory fatality

Thursday 10th October 2019
The UK division of building products manufacturer Cemex has been convicted of safety failings after a worker was killed at its concrete block and paving factory in West Lothian.
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 NZ juice co fined $367,500 over faulty bottle filling machine fatality

Thursday 15th August 2019
A New Zealand juice company has been fined NZ$367,500 (£193,334) after it allowed a female employee to operate a faulty machine, which resulted in her death.
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Work equipment
Sector: Local government
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